- Kroger, one of the largest supermarket chains in the U.S., is getting serious about EV charging.
- It partnered with EVgo to add thousands of DC fast chargers at its stores in the next decade.
- The first new site is already operational, with many more to come.
Thousands of new DC fast chargers will become operational at Kroger’s stores across the United States in the next ten years, after the huge supermarket operator partnered with EVgo to supercharge its EV charging infrastructure.
The two companies said that the first new charging site is already operational in Salt Lake City, Utah, and that the next locations on the list are slated to go live soon in Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Texas and Washington. Kroger stores in other states are also bound to get brand-new EV chargers that can top up a car’s battery in as little as 15 minutes.
EVgo will build at least 150 fast charging stalls per year through 2035 at Kroger, Foods Co., Fred Meyer, Fry’s Food Stores, Harris Teeter, King Soopers and Smith’s Food and Drug locations across the U.S. Each station will feature up to 16 high-power stalls.
The charging operator didn’t say just how powerful these stalls would be, but the Salt Lake City location, which is a Smith’s store, has 12 350-kilowatt chargers that can charge up to 24 cars simultaneously. All the charging connectors here are CCS1, but EVgo also makes chargers with NACS connectors.
“EVgo’s expanded relationship with Kroger introduces more fast charging options into Americans’ everyday lives,” said Badar Khan, CEO of EVgo. “Kroger is the grocery destination of choice for millions of Americans. Adding fast charging to Kroger locations will provide the growing number of EV drivers an essential amenity–the convenience of charging where they shop while empowering drivers with the freedom to choose electric.”
EVgo currently operates roughly 4,800 DC fast charging stalls in the United States, according to the Alternative Fuels Data Center, but the company is planning a massive expansion. By the end of 2029–that’s just three years from now–EVgo expects to have over 15,000 stalls up and running stateside.
To kick installations into high gear, the American charging operator partnered with multiple companies, including GM Energy and Pilot Company, to install stalls at thousands of locations. GM Energy alone has over 2,000 co-branded stalls already operational, with more to come. EVgo is also using prefabricated slabs talls that can be installed much faster than traditional systems.
